Forests are flashpoints of insecurity, NFSS warns as Presidency pushes dialogue in North-Central

By Johnbosco Agbakwuru

ABUJA — THE Commandant-General of the Nigerian Forest Security Service, NFSS, Ambassador Joshua Osatimehin Wole, has warned that Nigeria’s 1,129 wood reserves, including 174 successful the North-Central, are flashpoints that necessitate tighter surveillance and inter-agency practice to incorporate insecurity.

Amb Wole, who stated this said astatine a capacity-building grooming for stakeholders held successful Abuja, said: “For sustainable bid successful our communities, each our forested regions indispensable beryllium preserved and decently secured.”

The Commandant General identified Niger, Kwara, and Benue, 3 states bordering planetary frontiers, arsenic epicentres requiring enhanced monitoring.

He said: “What Nigeria is presently facing goes beyond farmer-herder clashes. We indispensable besides see the post-Gaddafi fallout, which scattered mercenaries crossed the Sahel.”

The Abuja forum, organised nether the Presidential Community Engagement Peace Initiative, PCEPI, brought unneurotic stakeholders crossed the North-Central to deepen dialogue, fortify societal cohesion, and representation strategies for lasting peace.

The Senior Special Assistant to the President connected Community Engagement (North-Central), Dr. Abiodun Essiet, said astir 70 percent of insecurity successful the portion tin beryllium addressed done dialogue, reconciliation, quality sharing, and assemblage engagement alternatively than subject unit alone.

“At the bosom of this inaugural is simply a bid operation crossed each 110 section governments of the region,” Essiet explained.

“It volition beryllium an progressive level for quality gathering, continuous dialogue, and addressing the basal causes of conflict. This operation volition beryllium the backbone of sustainable peacebuilding.”

She emphasized that resolving communal conflicts aboriginal was critical: “Once we win successful addressing interior disputes and basal causes of tension, we volition already beryllium halfway to overcoming insecurity successful the North-Central, portion equipped criminality remains the task of information agencies.”

The grooming featured sessions connected peacebuilding, struggle resolution, and quality gathering, alongside SWOT breakout sessions to place risks and plan state-level enactment plans.

Dr. Kole Shettima, Director of the MacArthur Foundation, stressed that bid underpins development: “Unless determination is peace, you cannot bash what you privation to do. Peace is indispensable and paramount.”

He urged lawmakers to fortify accepted institutions and larn from indigenous struggle solution models.

Project Coordinator Jacob Alagbe said the programme aims to forge partnerships and foster coexistence, with outcomes feeding into state-specific enactment plans for peace.

The station Forests are flashpoints of insecurity, NFSS warns arsenic Presidency pushes dialog successful North-Central appeared archetypal connected Vanguard News.